1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to protective eyewear, and more particularly, to a protective eyewear apparatus for sports such as women's lacrosse or field hockey.
2. Description of the Background
Protecting players from injury is a primary concern for any sport. Among the most vulnerable parts of the body are the head, face, and eyes. Thus, protective face masks and eyewear are common in sports such as baseball, hockey, football, racquetball, squash, and lacrosse. The sport of lacrosse uses a hard, heavy rubber ball that is thrown with considerable force and which can cause significant injury to unprotected eyes and faces. Most generally accepted rules for competitive lacrosse require a lacrosse ball made of solid rubber, between 7¾ and 8 inches in circumference (about 2½ inches in diameter), and between 5 and 5¼ ounces in weight. With the advances in lacrosse stick design, such lacrosse balls are routinely thrown at speeds in excess of seventy-five miles-per-hour such that impacts of the ball have caused countless bruises, numerous broken bones, and, in rare cases, even death. Indeed, in addition to the long-standing requirement of the rules for men's lacrosse that players wear helmets with face masks, protective eyewear is now mandatory according to the rules of women's lacrosse.
In general, manufacturers continually strive to improve the impact resistance of the protective eyewear they offer. However, improvements in the strength of the equipment often comes at the expense of comfort and dexterity as the equipment becomes more stiff, bulky, or obtrusive to the movement of the wearer. This discomfort can cause a player to choose to wear the equipment improperly or not at all, thereby defeating any improvement in the protection offered. Overall, protective eyewear should be comfortable to wear on a continuous basis and should provide ample protection in accordance with the applicable standards for its usage, including ASTM F 803-03 impact requirements. In providing comfort, the eyewear should be lightweight, flexible, and comfortable against the skin, and should provide adequate ventilation allowing the user to dissipate heat and moisture.